COVID-19 in Brazil: The challenges to face the pandemic by health professionals

Abstract

In December 2019, a new coronavirus was sparked in China, which was named the following year by the World Health Organization as Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19). The pandemic installed because to Covid-19 brought interference from social and governmental aspects, such as social isolation and the closing of borders, as strategies to reduce exposures of populations to the virus. In contrast, health professionals live a time of exposure and vulnerability, facing challenges on a daily basis. This paper aims to discuss the scenario of Covid-19 in Brazil and the challenges experienced by health professionals. This is a bibliographic review of complete scientific articles, published in the Scielo, BVS and WHO virtual libraries, between 2019 and 2020, in English or Portuguese languages, being articles in the Health Sciences area. Search for the keywords “coronavirus infections and healthcare personnel”, “coronavirus infections and Brazil”, and “coronavirus infections”. Were found 696 articles and 21 of relevant content were selected for the present review. Complementary official government data were also used. It is concluded that frontline health professionals in Brazil and other countries in the world face personal and professional challenges, related to degrading feelings, insufficient guidance on handling contaminated materials and practices with transitory truths and little scientific basis. It is observed the importance of professional valorization in typical days, bigger operational investments and care with the physical and mental health of the health professionals.

Keywords

• coronavirus infections, health personnel, occupational health